Pokémon TCG Pocket Confirms Changes to Much-Loathed Trading System Are Coming... Eventually

Pokémon TCG Pocket's reviled trading system is finally getting a much-needed overhaul, promising significant improvements, though the wait will be lengthy. Developers have detailed upcoming changes on the Pokémon community forums:

Farewell, Trade Tokens!

The dreaded Trade Tokens are being removed. Trading three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity cards will now require Shinedust. Shinedust is automatically earned when opening booster packs containing cards already in your Card Dex. Since Shinedust is also used for flairs, the developers plan to increase its availability. This change should dramatically increase trading efficiency. Existing Trade Tokens will be converted to Shinedust upon their removal. Trading one- and two-diamond rarity cards remains unchanged.

More Improvements on the Horizon

A new feature will let you specify desired trade cards within the in-game trading function.

The core change eliminates Trade Tokens—a poorly designed currency requiring players to discard cards to trade. The current system forces players to sacrifice multiple rare cards to trade a single valuable one.

The new Shinedust system is far superior. Shinedust, already used for card flairs, is passively earned from duplicate cards and events. Many players likely have a surplus. The developers intend to increase Shinedust acquisition further to facilitate trading. While some trading cost is necessary to prevent account manipulation, the Trade Token system was excessively punitive.

Another significant improvement is the ability to specify desired cards when initiating a trade. Currently, players can only list cards for trade without indicating their desired cards, hindering trades, especially with strangers. This new feature should significantly improve trade efficiency.

Initial community response to these changes is overwhelmingly positive. However, a major drawback is the irretrievable loss of rare cards already sacrificed for Trade Tokens. While conversion to Shinedust offers some recompense, the lost cards remain a significant issue.

The biggest downside? These improvements aren't expected until Fall. Trading is likely to stagnate until then, given the current system's unpopularity. Several expansions may pass before the "Trading" in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket truly lives up to its name.

Stockpile that Shinedust!